Washing-machine-locking mechanism



Dec. 3, 1929. w. w. TRINKS WASHING MACHINE LOCKING MECHANISM Filed July 51. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gvwentoz a?) 9/9 11116 Home Dec. 3, 1929. w. w. TRINKS WASHING MACHI NE LOCKING MECHANISM Filed July 31. 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m flwuewcoz an W! 951 1% WW QKM QM I Dec. 3, 1929. w. w. TRINKS WASHING MACHINE LOCKING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 31, 1926 avweuto'c W Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM W. THINKS, OF YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO C. BLAKE ORCU'IT,

OF JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK WASHING-MACHINE-LOCKING MECHANISM Application filed July 31,

My invention relates to washing machines mountedwithin a stationary container, usually of cylindrical form, which container has an opening for access to the tank and a door for closing said opening. It is desirable that this door he kept closed during the operation of the machine so that access to the tank be had only when the machine is at rest. With this in mind, it has been the object of the present invention to provide a simple locking means for said door that will be effective accordingly.

1n carrying the invention into effect I provide a locking device for the door that is operatively associated withthe tank operating means in such manner that it will have to be moved to locking position as a prerequisite to the starting of the machine and that will be ineffective to release the door until the machine has been brought to a stop.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a washing machine embodying my invention, showing the position of the parts when the machine is stopped but with the door still closed.

2 is an end elevation of the machine with the parts in position for operation.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section, taken on the lines 33 of 1, showing the position of the parts with the door on the tank container cylinder opened.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail of the belt shifting and associated mechanisms shown in Fi 1, showing the position of the parts with the machine in operation.

Fig. 5 is a detail of part of the door locking mechanism, showing the parts in locking position.

Fig. (3 is an enlarged detail of a pinion and its supporting bracket forming part of the .door locking mechanism.

To explain in detail, 2 indicates the tank container, the same being here shown ascylindrical in form and mounted on supporting legs 3, 3, at opposite ends thereof. Within this container is mounted the washing tank 4, having journals 5, 5 extending through the end walls of the container and provided at 1926. Serial No- 126,146.

their outer ends with attached gears 6, 6, which latter connect through gearing 78 with ashaft 9 mounted in brackets 10, 10, 011 the end walls ofthe container. Said shaft 9 is provided with a pulley 11 which is connected by a belt 12 with a driving shaft 13 journaled in the upper part of the brackets 10. It will thus be clear that rotation of the shaft 13, acting through the belt 12, will impart rotation to the shaft 9, and this in turn, acting through the gearing 6-78, will cause rotation of the tank 4:.

As usual in this class of machines, the washing tank preferably has an oscillating movement imparted thereto. This may be caused in any suitable Way. As here shown the shaft 13 is provided with loose pulleys 15, 16 and an intermediate fast pulley 17. Driving belts 18 and 19, operated from a suitable source of power (not shown) and moving inopposite directions, run continuously on these loose pulleys and are adapted to be alternately shifted from the loose pulleys to the fast pulley to cause the latter to rotate first in one direction and then in the other to impart a an oscillating movement to the shaft 13 and from thence through the described connections to the tank 4:.

The alternate shifting of the belts 18 and 19 from the loose pulleys to the fast pulley may also be effected by any suitable means. As here shown, belt engaging members 20, 20, are carried by a bracket 21 rigidly attached to a rod 22 mounted for endwise sliding movement in an arm 23 of one of the frame brackets 10. Fixed on this red 22 is a pawl 25 adapted, when themachine is in operation, to engage a notch 26 in a continuously reciprocating member 27, which latter is slidably mounted on a pair of rods 28, 28, carried by the bracket arm 28and is operated from a revolving crank pin 30 engaging the same within a transverse slot 31 therein, said crank pin being carried by a Worm wheel 32 journaled on the bracket arm 23 and engaged by a worm 33 on a sleeve 34, which latter is loosely mounted on the shaft 13 in'fiXed connection with the loose pulley 16 to be continuously opcrated thereby. In order to provide for such continuous operation of the reciprocating with an operating handle 43,

7 member 27, the belt 19 is arranged to maintain a continuous engagement with said loose pulley rrespectlve of its shifting position to .and from engagement with the fast pulley. This willbe clear by reference to Fig. 4, in

whichthe belt is shown in driving engagement with the fast pulley but with a part thereof still retaining itsdriving engagement withthe loose pulley 16.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when it is desired to start the machine, the pawl which constitutes a clutch for I connecting the belt-shifters with their actuator 27 is simply thrown into engagement with the reciprocating member 27, whereupon the driving belts will be caused to alternatelyen'gagethe fast pulley 17 and cause oscillating movement of the tank, and, when it is desired to stop the machine, said pawl is simply thrown back and disengaged from said reciprocating member. As a convenient means for thus operating the pawl, the rod 22 on which it is mounted is provided with a crank arm 36 having a connected operating handle 37 loosely mounted for combined sliding and pivotal movements within a forked arm 38 attached to one of the end frames of .the machine. By moving this handle in one direction the rod 22 may be rocked to move the pawl into engagement with, the actuating member 27, and by moving itin the opposite direction the pawl will bereleased therefrom.

As hereinbefore referred to, the container 2 is provided with an opening 40 for giving access to the tank, and this opening is adapted to be closed bya door 41 slidably mounted on the outer wall of the container with its ends engaged by guides 42,42 on the container, said door being preferably provided ,on the end frames 10 (see Fig. 3). WVhen the door is inns closed position this rod 50 will be sufficiently far withdrawn through the perforation in the plate 53 to permit of the low- .ering into lockingv engagement with its free tCO end'of a locking member or bolt 57, which latter is'slidably' mounted in ways in the adjacent sidesof the standards 54, 54 for vertical movement therebetween to and from its locking position. r I

. The operation of the said locking bolt is,

i in accordance with the present invention,

controlled from the operating I mechanism of the machine and particularly the belt-shifting part thereof. In effecting this control, I provide the locking bolt with a rack (30 on the back thereof which is engaged by a pinion 61 secured on a shaft 62 journaled in brackets 63 on the rear side of the standards This shaft 62 is coupled to the shaft 22 by having one end thereof loosely fitted in the open end of a sleeve (34 fixed to the shaft 22 and being provided with a radial pin (35 engaging said sleeve within a longitudinal slot 66 therein (see Fig. 4), this connection permitting of an endwise movement of the shaft 22 relatively to the shaft 62 while at the same time causing them to rotate in unison.

When the machine is in operation with the pawl 25 of the belt shifting mechanism in engagement with the reciprocating member 27, the locking bolt 57 will be in its lowered position of locking engagement with the end of the door rod 50, as shown in Fig. 5, and will be maintained in such position with the door locked by means operative to prevent a raising or releasing movement of the same during continued operation of the machine. Suchmeans may be any suitable for the purpose. As here shown, it comprises a flange '7 on the stationary frame member 23 arranged in position beneath the path of movement of a rearwardly extending arm (38 of the pawl 25 so as to limit the downward movement of same and thereby prevent such a rocking of the shaft 22 by its operating handle 37 as would permit of the raising of the locking bolt to unlocking position through the connecting rack and pinion -61. In order however to permit of a releasing movement of the locking bolt when the machine has been brought to a stop, the flange 67 is provided with a notch (39 arranged in position to receive the pawl arm 68 when the belts have been brought to a neutral position out of engagement with the fast pulley as shown in Fig. 1, said notch being of such depth as to permit of the shaft 22 being rotated sufficiently by its operating handle 37 to first release the pawl 25 from its engagement with the continuously reciprocating member 27 and then raise the locking bolt 57 from its locking position shown in Fig. 4 to its releasing position shown in Fig. 3, following which the door 41 may be opened as shown in the latter figure. As will be understood, the location of the pawl releasing notch 69, in the flange 67 is such as to index the neutral position of the belt shifter and so insure the driving belts being out of engagement with the fast pulley and movement of the washing tank stopped as a prerequisite to unlocking the door 41 on the tank container.

The operation of the machine, briefly stated, is as follows:

\Vhen the machine is stopped, that is, with the washing tank at rest, the belt shifters will be disconnected from the continuously reciprocating actuating member 27 by the disengagement of the pawl 25 from said member, as shown in Fig. l, and will be locked in neutral position with the belts out of engagement with the fast pulley by means of the engagement of the rear arm 68 of said pawl within the notch 69 of the stationary flange 67. "With these parts in such position, the locking bolt 5?" will be held in its raised or receiving position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, whereby the door is tree to be opened as shown in said Fig. 3.

When it is now desired to start the machine, the belt shifters must first be released by the disengagement ot' the pawl arm 68 from the notch 69 ot' the flange 67 preliminary to its subsequent engagement with the actuating member 27. This release is effected by a rocking of the shaft 22. In accomplishing this, the locking bolt 57 will be lowered into lock ing engagement with the end of the door rod 50, and, unless said rod has been withdrawn from beneath the bolt by the closing of the door, it will so limit the rotation of the shaft 22 as to prevent the pawl 25 being entered into the notch 26 in the member 27. will be understood that the door 41 must be closed as a prerequisite to the operation of the machine by the connection of the belt shifters with their actuating device 27. When the door is fully closed the shaft 22 is then tree to be continued in its rotation to lower the pawl 25 into operative connection with the actuating member 2'7, as shown in Fig. 4 and thereby throw the machine into operation.

hat I claim is:

1. in a washing machine, the combination with a revolving tank, a cylinder having said tank mounted therein and provided with an opening for access to the tank, a movable closure for said opening, and operating means for revolving the tank, of locking means for said closure comprising a member pivoted thereto, means slidably supporting the free end of said pivoted member, a bolt engaging the latter for preventing movement of the same and connected closure when the latter is in closed position, and means operatively connecting said bolt with the tank operating means for preventing releasing movement of the bolt during operation of the tank.

2. ln a washing machine, the combination with a revolving tank, a cylinder having said tank mounted therein and provided with an opening for access to the tank, a movable closure for said opening, and operating means for revolving the tank,.ot locking means for said closure comprising a member pivoted thereto, means slidably supporting the free end of said pivoted member, a bolt engaging the latter for preventing movement Thus it 

